What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 20th March 2025

Founded in 1997, the 28th Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF) this year runs from Wednesday 19th March through until Sunday 23rd March. SIFF is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting the best in independent film and filmmakers from around the world, inspiring savvy film lovers, and introducing the power of film to student filmmakers. SIFF takes place every March in the United States’ renowned Wine Country, just 45 minutes north of San Francisco. It is noted for its participation of film and media industry jurists and panelists and continues to grow its reputation in finding and cultivating new talent from around the world, creating a significant platform for networking and distribution opportunities. SIFF programmes full-length features and documentaries, as well as short films in the Live Action, Documentary and Animated categories. SIFF also showcases Culinary, Food and Wine films across all categories and presents comedies from around the world in addition to dramas and other genres. The five-day festival supports filmmakers with generous cash award prizes and an accommodation programme providing the opportunity to interact with industry professionals, community members, and our astute film audience in one of the most intimate, engaging and inspiring settings on the festival circuit - so reads the official website.

The Sonoma International Film Festival’s three tentpole films—its Opening, Centerpiece, and Closing selections, all promise an unforgettable cinematic journey filled with heart, adventure, and cultural resonance. Kicking off the festival is the Opening Night Film 'Sweet Story', a charming real-life fairy tale about a patisserie owner’s quest to save a cafe on a remote Swedish island. Directed by Sarah Justine Kerruish and Matt Maude from the UK - World Premiere. The festival’s Centerpiece, 'On Swift Horses', delves into the complexities of love and self-discovery in a sweeping 1950's period drama, and is Directed by Daniel Minahan and is from the USA, and finally, the Closing Night Film, 'The Wedding Banquet', offers a vibrant, contemporary reimagining of Ang Lee’s beloved classic, paired with a tribute to the legendary Joan Chen. Directed by Andrew Ahn and from the USA.

SIFF's Narrative Feature Competition highlights outstanding films from emerging talent worldwide—works that captivate audiences with compelling characters, unique perspectives, and masterful storytelling. This competitive category is dedicated to narrative feature films that do not yet have US distribution, offering filmmakers a prestigious platform to premiere their work, connect with industry professionals, and gain exposure in a vibrant festival setting. Those films in this competitive strand are as follows :-

* 'Cafe Chairel' - from Mexico and Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Edited by Fernando Barreda Luna. World Premiere. A lonely cafe owner and a wandering young woman forge a soulful connection over coffee.

* 'DJ Ahmet' - from North Macedonia, Czech Republic, Croatia and Serbia and Written and Directed by Georgi M. Unkovski. A North Macedonian shepherding boy´s love of techno music sets him on a path of small-town love and rebellion.

* 'Long Good Thursday' - from Finland, and Directed by Mika Kaurismaki. In a serene Finnish Summer, an ageing farmer unexpectedly finds joy and love with a free-spirited artist.

* 'Gloria!' - from Italy, and Co-Written and Directed by Margherita Vicario. A mute maid’s discovery of a pianoforte shakes up a crumbling 18th-century girls’ music school for orphans.

* 'Mexico 86' - from France and Belgium and Written and Directed by Cesar Diaz. Maria, a Guatemalan activist in exile, is torn between her noble cause and maternal love for her son, Marco. As political pressure mounts to complete her mission, Maria must protect her child while confronting past choices and dangerous secrets.

* 'The Party's Over' - from Spain and Written and Directed by Elena Manrique. A Spanish divorcee’s life is upended when she shelters a Senegalese immigrant in her shed.

* 'My Favourite Cake' - from Iran, France, Sweden and Germany and Written and Directed by Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha. A 70-year-old Iranian widow’s taxi ride takes an unexpected turn toward romance and rebellion.

* 'Waves' - from the Czech Republic and Written and Directed by Jiri Madl. Journalists in 1960's Czechoslovakia navigate the tightrope between truth and propaganda.

To view the other film strands being showcased under the headings of 'Culinary Films & Events', 'Late Night Films', 'Documentary Feature Competition', 'Short Film Competition', 'Special Presentations' and the 'Shorts Programs', plus a whole bunch of other good content, you can go to the official website at : https://sonomafilmfest.org/festival/

This week there are seven new cinematic experiences to choose from coming to a big screen Odeon near you, and we launch with an American biographical crime drama offering that tells the story of a pair of Italian Americans who were rivals for control of a major crime family in the mid-20th century. Then we turn to an ancient Greek story of how after twenty years Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, where he finds his wife held prisoner by suitors vying to be king and his son facing death at their hands. Next up is a psychological horror film of how a judge recovering from a stroke at an assisted living facility, encounters a psychopathic patient who uses a hand puppet to abuse fellow residents. This is followed by an American action thriller that follows a thief who breaks into a luxury SUV, only to realise to his peril, that he has slipped into a sophisticated and deadly trap. Coming next is a live action remake of a Disney classic that sees a princess join forces with seven dwarfs to liberate her kingdom from her cruel stepmother the Evil Queen. Following on we have a story of young woman who unexpectedly befriends an online stranger, sharing her self-centered father's name, and this namesake's support might just transform her life; before closing out the week with a critically acclaimed and multi-award winning animated feature film about a courageous cat and its wondrous journey after its home is devastated by a great flood.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the seven latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the week ahead.

'THE ALTO KNIGHTS' (Rated MA15+) - is an American biographical crime drama film Co-Produced and Directed by Barry Levinson, whose previous feature film offerings include his debut with 'Diner' in 1982 and then the likes of 'The Natural' in 1984, 'Good Morning, Vietnam' in 1987, 'Rain Man' in 1988, 'Bugsy' in 1991, 'Disclosure' in 1994, 'Sleepers' in 1996, 'Wag the Dog' in 1997, 'Sphere' in 1998, 'Bandits' in 2001, 'What Just Happened' in 2008 and 'Rock the Kasbah' in 2015. The film is released Stateside and here in Australia this week, and cost US$45M to produce.

In the 1950's, notorious New York crime bosses Frank Costello (Robert De Niro) and Vito Genovese (Robert De Niro) vie for control of the city streets. Once the best of friends, petty jealousies and a series of betrayals place them on a deadly collision course that reshapes organised crime forever. Genovese orders a hit on Costello in 1957, who survives the attempt on his life but is wounded, and ultimately decides to retire from the Mafia. Also starring Debra Messing, Katherine Narducci, Cosmo Jarvis and Michael Rispoli. 

'THE RETURN' (Rated M) - this Greek, Italian and UK Co-Production is Co-Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Uberto Pasolini, and is based on Homer's ancient Greek poem 'The Odyssey'. Pasolini's prior feature film making credits take in his directorial debut in 2008 with 'Machan' and then 'Still Life' in 2013 and 'Nowhere Special' in 2020. After 20 years away, Odysseus (Ralph Fiennes) washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognisable. The king finds much has changed since he left to fight in the Trojan War. His beloved wife, Penelope (Juliette Binoche), is a prisoner in her own home and hounded to choose a new husband. Their son Telemachus (Charlie Plummer) faces death at the hands of suitors who see him as an obstacle in their pursuit of Penelope and the kingdom. Odysseus is no longer the mighty warrior his people remember, but he must face his past to save his family. The film saw its World Premiere at TIFF in early September last year, was released Stateside in early December, has so far grossed US$900K and has generated largely positive critical reviews.

'THE RULE OF JENNY PEN' (Rated MA15+) - is a New Zealand psychological horror film Co-Written for the screen, Executive Produced and Directed by James Ashcroft, and is based on Owen Marshall's short story of the same name. Ashcroft made his feature film Directorial debut with 'Coming Home in the Dark' in 2021, although he has Directed a number of short films and TV series since 2015. Here then, Arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush) suffers a near-fatal stroke, leaving him partially paralysed and confined to a retirement home. Resistant to the staff and distant from his friendly roommate, Mortensen soon clashes with seemingly gentle resident Dave Crealy (John Lithgow) who secretly terrorises the home with a sadistic game called 'The Rule of Jenny Pen' while wielding his dementia doll as an instrument of cruelty. What begins as childish torment quickly escalates into far more sinister and disturbing incidents. When Mortensen's pleas to the staff go unanswered, he takes it upon himself to put an end to Crealy's reign of terror. The film was released in New Zealand and the US in early March, in the UK and Ireland in mid-March and here in Australia this week, has garnered generally favourable critical reviews and has so far grossed US$391K. 

'LOCKED' (Rated MA15+) - this American action thriller film is Directed by David Yarovesky who made his feature film making debut with 2014's 'The Hive', and which he would follow up with 'Brightburn' in 2019 and 'Nightbooks' in 2021. This film is an English language remake of the 2019 Argentinian action thriller film '4'x4', and so here, a young, flippant carjacker Eddie Barrish (Bill Skarsgard) is trapped in a heavily modified car by a mysterious sociopath known only as William (Anthony Hopkins), who intends to teach him the 'consequences' of his lifestyle. With no means of escape, Eddie must fight to survive in a ride where escape is an illusion, survival is a nightmare, and justice shifts into high gear. The film is released this week too in the US. 

'SNOW WHITE' (Rated PG) - is an American musical fantasy film Directed by Marc Webb, whose prior feature film making credits take in his Directorial debut in 2009 with '500 Days of Summer', which he would follow up with 'The Amazing Spider-Man' in 2012 and 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' in 2014, 'Gifted' in 2017 and 'The Only Living Boy in New York' in 2017. This film is a live-action reworking of Walt Disney Productions's 1937 animated film 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs', which itself is based on the 1812 fairy tale 'Snow White' by the Brothers Grimm. Here then, a Princess, known as Snow White (Rachel Zegler) determined to free her kingdom from tyranny, joins forces with seven dwarfs - Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy and Dopey, to liberate her kingdom from her cruel stepmother, the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot). Also starring Andrew Burnap as Jonathan, Snow White's love interest. The film saw its European Premiere in Spain on 12th March, and goes on wide release as of this week. It cost in the region of US$255M to produce. 

'BOB TREVINO LIKES IT' (Rated M) - this American comedy drama offering is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Tracie Laymon in only her second feature film outing following 'Girls! Girls! Girls!' in 2011, although she has Written, Produced and Directed many other short films and TV series episodes since. Here, a young woman named Lily Trevino (Barbie Ferreira) uses Facebook to pursue her estranged father, Bob Trevino (John Leguizamo). In the process, she encounters a different, childless man of the same name, Robert Trevino (French Stewart) who begins liking her posts, causing the two to correspond. Upon meeting up in real life, Bob becomes a father figure in Lily's life. The film had its World Premiere in early March 2024 at SXSW where it won the festival's Grand Jury Award and Audience Award in the Narrative Feature categories. It is released in the US this week too and has garnered generally positive critical reviews.

'FLOW' (Rated G) - is an animated adventure film Written, Co-Produced, Directed, Photographed, Edited and Co-Scored by Gints Zilbalodis. It is a Latvian, French, and Belgian Co-Production, it features no dialogue and follows a cat trying to survive along with other animals in a seemingly post-apocalyptic world as the water level dramatically rises. The film took five-and-a-half years to complete, and saw its World Premiere showcasing at the end of May 2024 at the Cannes Film Festival and was released in its native Latvia at the end of August last year. It has received widespread critical acclaim and has collected fifty-four award wins (including the Best Animated Feature Film at this years Academy Awards) and another seventy nominations from around the awards and festivals circuit. The film has so far grossed US$20M from a production budget of US$3.8M, was released in the US in early December and only now is it released here in Australia. 

With seven new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE HUNTSMAN - WINTER'S WAR : Tuesday 12th April 2016.

THE HUNTSMAN : WINTER'S WAR which I saw in the week, is the sequel to the 2012 movie 'Snow White and the Huntsman' which off the back of its US$170M budget made US$397M. Directed by first timer Cedric Nicolas-Troyan who was the VFX specialist on the first film, and filmed in England, this next instalment was released in the UK on 4th April and opens in the US on 22nd April, and has so far made US$19M off its US$115M budget.

Here we see a number of characters from that earlier instalment reprising their roles including Chris Hemsworth as Eric, the Huntsman; Charlize Theron as Ravenna, the Evil Queen; Nick Frost as Nion a Dwarf; and Sam Claflin as King William. This time joined by Emily Blunt as Freya, the Ice Queen and sister of Ravenna, Rob Brydon as dwarf Gryff and half-brother of Nion, and Jessica Chastain as Sara, a warrior and wife of Eric.

As the film opens we are taken back to time before the death of Raveena at the hands of Snow White, where the Evil Queen learns from the magic mirror that her sister Freya is pregnant with a daughter, and that in time that child's beauty will outshine her own. The mirror also warns of dire repurcussions if that child is harmed in any way. Later as Freya and her lover The Duke of Blackwood plan their escape from Raveena's evil shadow, Freya learns that in fact her lover has murdered their child in its cot, and in her rage she unleashes her hitherto dormant cryokinetic power and kills the Duke. Mourning her loss and vowing to never love again, she abandons her sister and moves to the remote North and builds herself an ice palace and establishes her own kingdom that she can rule over. In time she builds an army of children that she can nurture and train to become skilled huntsman and women, and instills in them all the need to turn their back on love for fear of death by her own hand should anyone betray her wishes. In the meantime, she provides food, clothing, shelter and two particular apt children prove to be her star pupils - Eric and Sara who grow up to be Chris Hemsworth and Jessica Chastain. They fall in love as they reach adulthood much to the disdain of the Ice Queen, who unleashes her wrath on them both - killing Sara and injuring Eric and throwing him into a fast flowing icy river to be washed down stream presumed dead.

We now fast forward seven years, and Raveena is dead killed by Snow White who now rules over the kingdom. But recently Snow White has come under the spell of the magic mirror and its dark powerful force, and so a plan was hatched to remove the mirror to a forest 'Sanctuary' where its powers can be contained. Eric is tracked down by King William and two accompanying dwarves, Nion and Gryff, who recount the tale of woe to the Huntsman and state that only he can retrieve the mirror that disappeared while en route to its final destination at the Sanctuary. Upon orders from Snow White, Eric agrees that the mirror cannot be allowed to fall into the wrong hands and so the search begins with Nion and Gryff in tow, believing that Freya may be after the mirror to harness its power for her own purposes and to expand her kingdom ultimately.

Upon their journey to retrieve the mirror the trio rest up in a local hostelry where a brawl breaks out involving other Huntsmen who recognise Eric from years before when he broke the law by falling in love. As the brawl escalates outside, Eric is aided by a mystery person who fends off the other Huntsmen and they retreat on horseback. That rescuer is Sara, believed to be long dead, but not so - Eric can hardly believe his eyes, but each have a different explanation for their separation having been bewitched by Freya into thinking that Sara had been killed and Eric fled to save his own bacon - each has a conflicting memory of those events.

With Sara now joining the hunt for the magic mirror, the four fall into the hands of two female dwarves Bromwyn (Sheridan Smith) and Doreena (Alexandra Roach) who take them prisoner but agree to release them if they be allowed to join their quest and share in the spoils. They know of a place where the goblins take their valuable treasures that is close to the Sanctuary, but is heavily forested and those that venture in, never venture out. The get in easily enough but getting out is more tricky when marauding goblins descend to thwart their plan to retrieve the mirror. But of course they prevail and the mirror makes it out, covered up to hide its powers and prevent anyone gazing up on it.

The next morning, having slept in an enchanted forest glen and Eric and Sara have reconciled their differences, the group are descended upon by Freya and her army who take the mirror back to the Ice Kingdom, and in the process freeze to the spot Nion and Doreena who by now have started to get acquainted in a dwarf kinda way! Sara retreats with Freya back to the Ice Kingdom having been ordered by Freya to kill Eric - to which she promptly shoots an arrow directly into his chest.

Needless to say, our hero survives and vows to retrieve the mirror and his one true love from Freya and her Ice Kingdom. And so Eric, Gryff and Bromwyn make their way through the frozen wasteland to the mountainous Ice Kingdom, with not much of a plan, but a whole lot of determination and bravado. At the same time Freya reactivates the mirror by reading aloud the inscription along its edge so releasing Raveena who upon her death possessed herself spiritually into the mirror awaiting the day for her to be released. And so she is, having regained her form she is reunited with her sister but has designs of her own on who now should rule over the Ice Kingdom. As the sisters argue with each other over who should reign supreme and to what end, Freya learns that her sister cursed The Duke of Blackwood to kill her child. Eric, Gryff and Bromwyn are captured and at the point of Eric's execution, a number of other Huntsmen whom Eric grew up with up, turn against Raveena and Freya and attempt to kill them both. In her rage, Freya turns against her sister, and using her powers freezes the mirror, at which Eric then throws his axe so breaking the mirror into a thousand pieces and destroying Raveena's spirit. Eric and Sara are reunited, and you guessed it - live happily ever after!

In the final analysis this is everything you would expect it to be, and nothing more. The storyline is inventive enough, the casting is strong with the additions of Jessica Chastain and Emily Blunt, there is sufficient action to maintain the pace, the dwarves add just the right amount of humour along the way and in the end don't forget that this is an early 19th Century children's fairytale updated for a 21st Century audience. It's worth a look, just don't have too high an expectation.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN - archive from 27th June 2012.

Saw 'SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN' and was a little sceptical about doing so, but the critics have been generally kind so gave it a go at the local multiplex. I was pleasantly surprised to see our image of young Snow and the evil Queen morphed into something far more sinister, bleak, foreboding & menacing!

This delivers the storyline you will remember from the saccharine infused Disney animated feature but brings it up to date and back closer to the origin tale. Evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron), learns from her Magic Mirror that when Snow White (Kristen Stewart) comes of age she will gain the power to overcome and destroy her once and for all unless the evil Queen can consume the young girls heart, and in so doing become immortal. 

The Queen learns that Snow White has escaped to the Dark Forest where Raveena has no power, and so sends her men aided by a Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) into the foreboding woodland to capture Snow White and return her. In the Dark Forest the Huntsman tracks down Snow White but quickly learns that Queen Raveena has spun him a yarn, and has no intention in keeping up her end of the bargain by letting him walk free when the job is done, and so he turns against the Queen's men and escapes with Snow White. 

In doing so they eventually meet up with a bunch of dwarves (who are the real the stars of this show and read like a who's who of male English acting talent - Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost, Ian McShane, Eddie Marsan, Toby Jones and Ray Winstone amongst others who clearly relish being miniaturised!) who assist in various pitched battles that eventually leads to Snow White biting into a poisoned apple given to her by the disguised Queen Raveena, which results in her falling into a deep sleep. The Queen flees however, when her true identity is revealed by the Huntsman, who then takes the seemingly lifeless body back to the Castle of her former childhood friend.

The Huntsman is now plagued by regret at not having saved Snow White, and in his sorrow he kisses her, and so breaks the spell, leaving Snow White to rally an army, storm the Castle of the Evil Queen and eventually overthrow her - good overcoming evil. In doing so Snow White is crowned Queen, the lands and its people are restored to peace and harmony, and everyone lives happily ever after!

This film was made with a budget of US$170M and took a worldwide Box Office haul of US$397M. Along the way is garnered 13 award wins and 31 nominations including two Academy Award nominations for Best Achievement in Costume Design and Visual Effects and a BAFTA nomination for Costume Design too. There has been speculation about a sequel since then, but it was announced earlier this year that in fact a prequel will go in to production for an April 2016 release - called 'The Huntsman'. It will not star Kristen Stewart, and will have another Director assigned to it after Rupert Saunders who Directed this feature was caught in an extra marital scandal post release.

In conclusion, this is a traditional story of good versus evil, the performances are solid enough - Hemsworth and Theron especially, not forgetting the merry band of dwarves, and you know the ending . . . or do you - it all ends abruptly and a little too quickly but nonetheless enjoyable action fantasy that adds a 21st Century spin on the Brothers Grimm fairytale!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-